Self‐perceived advantages/disadvantages of one's gender and sexual orientation on spousal dementia caregiving

Abstract Social sciences research has linked the experiences of caregivers to gendered experiences over the life course; a few studies have crossed these findings with sexual orientation, often introducing stigma and other social impacts. We directly asked caregivers themselves about the perceived influences of gender and sexual orientation on their caregiving experiences. Twenty‐three straight women, 15 straight men, 14 lesbian women, and 13 gay men spousal/partner dementia caregivers were interviewed about their caregiving experiences, including the advantages and disadvantages of their gender and sexual orientation in caring for their spouse/partner; these interviews were recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed. Four superordinate themes accounted for advantages, and the same number of comparable themes were found for disadvantages; together, these represent: empathy and emotional expression; bridging household management and relationship tasks; societal factors; and reference to bodies. The synthesis of these findings is illustrative; for example, straight women reported their emotional facility and household management histories as advantages; they also felt burdened and somewhat weighed down by both. Straight men similarly spoke of their emotional reserve as both an advantage and disadvantage—and similarly referencing household management (not trained in the former case, not prepared in the latter). Gay men and lesbians noted the stigma and discrimination that colored their caregiving experiences; they also saw how these struggles became strengths. These data help reinforce and animate existing interpretations of caregiver behaviors, add new nuance and perspective, and offer detail for policy and practice interventions rooted in gender and sexual orientation identities.